“But, Daddy ...”
“Look, Nina,” Mr. Curtin said sternly, “I haven’t time to explain. Please stay here. It’s important.”
Then he went outside and joined Vicki again.
Vicki was looking wildly around the Thieves’ Market. The man who had offered them the gold ship was not in sight.
“Let’s walk around,” Mr. Curtin said. “He’s bound to be in the square some place.”
They saw the man who had tried to sell them the perfume, and then the grinning, broken-toothed character who had shown them the lace. But of the peddler with the gold ship there was no sign. They walked around for ten minutes, peering into every doorway, but still with no success.
Then Vicki saw a familiar figure emerge from a doorway at the far end of the square.
“There he is, Mr. Curtin! Stop him!”
Mr. Curtin raised an arm and waved it urgently. “Hey, there!” he yelled, somewhat undignified for a staid American businessman. “Stop! Wait a minute!”
The man glanced once over his shoulder, then ducked into an alley and disappeared.